Webcam usage is on the rise, particularly after the advent of work from home culture. Many people attend meetings and conferences online using a webcam. On the other hand, you can see people taking online classes and tutoring others with the help of a webcam. So, what features are important in a webcam? Does it need Autofocus?
We are about to discuss the importance of Autofocus in webcams since you can find a significant difference in price for a device with autofocus.
Is Autofocus important for Webcam?
Autofocus-enabled webcams can be more beneficial to users than a webcam with manual focus. Although it is dependent on the user preference, autofocus can help users to move around and focus on different objects without manually adjusting the lens.
Due to these potential benefits of autofocus, webcams need to hold this feature. If you want, you can turn off the Autofocus feature in the software and perform manual focus as per your requirement.
There are many potential benefits to using the autofocus feature. Especially, in modern webcams with full HD and 4K resolutions, you get to have several features like low light enhancement, software support, etc. which makes the autofocus more effective. Let us discuss the various factors that make autofocus an important factor for webcams.
Importance of Autofocus in Webcams
Webcams are small devices and you cannot expect SLR quality in their image capturing performance. They are not primarily used for taking photos or shooting videos. Rather, they are used for streaming videos online depending on the network speed. Since webcams use encodings to compress videos for online streaming, the video quality can be good and not great.
When you cannot get great video quality, it will be deteriorating to compromise basic things like object focus. If you are using the webcam to do a live yoga class, it is expected of you to be in focus all the time so that the viewers can see you. This is where autofocus comes into play.
The image processing and streaming from a webcam can be better only when the subject is focused properly. With manual focus, you have to stay put in a place where you fixed the lens to focus on. This restricts your movement and doesn’t allow you to move around or shift position.
Even in low light conditions, modern webcams can shine some light on you and focus you or the subject better. This is also not possible with manual focus webcams and you have to use external lighting and focus the camera yourself.
With autofocus, you can move around freely, display different objects to your viewers, focus on different things without moving, perform live demonstrations, etc. Due to these benefits, it is better and more important to have a webcam that is enabled with Autofocus.
Read: Why does my Webcam not work on Discord?
How does Autofocus work on Webcam?
Autofocus in webcams uses the most common method known as Contrast Detection Auto Focus. It is a type of passive auto-focus method that involves the use of contrast between light and dark areas to recognize an object to be focused on.
We know that images are made up of pixels. The light from the object falls on the image sensor of the webcam and it is recognized as small pixels. With an object in focus, the light from it will be sharp and of high contrast, whereas the out of focus objects will have lower light and contrast.
The sensor uses this difference in contrast to recognizing the subject in focus. There will be a motor to adjust the lens for different focal lengths. This contrast-detecting sensor will actuate this motor back and forth to find out where high contrast is present. Once it finds a high-contrast subject, it stops there and it will be the focal point of the lens. This is achieved through trial and error only.
That is why you can see webcams with autofocus to shift focus when there is movement or change in lighting. Since it is light-dependent, it will not work very well in low light conditions unless the webcam shines an external light over the subject.
Another method that modern webcams use is the laser autofocus method. This is an active focus method where a laser is shined over the object and using the feedback, the lens is adjusted.
The laser feedback provides the distance of the subject from the cam and it calculates the focal length. This focal length is then used by the motor to place the lens and get the perfect focus on the subject.
These are the methods by which a webcam might autofocus on its subjects and provide a better video call experience online.
Read: Is a 720p Webcam good enough for Streaming?
Autofocus vs Manual Focus Webcam
| Autofocus | Manual Focus |
| Keeps the subject in focus despite movement | Keeps the subject in focus only at the set focal length |
| Can track objects with auto tracking feature | Doesn’t have any auto tracking feature |
| Recognizes different objects and brings them into focus | Have to manually shift the lens to focus on different objects |
| Struggle to focus when vibration is present | Produces stable focus even with vibration |
| Reliable in brightly lit conditions | Reliable in all lighting conditions |
| Can constantly shift focus if not optimized properly by manufacturer | Since focus is set by the user, it is better and doesn’t change |
| Expensive | Available in all price ranges |
The major difference between autofocus and manual focus webcams is the focus quality. Although autofocus can effectively capture the subject in movement, the focus quality might not be great if you go for low-budget webcams.
While in a manual focus cam, you can set a desired focal length and make sure to bring subjects into that distance. So, we can say that both have their advantages and disadvantages. The user can choose as per their requirement.
Read: How to Improve video quality of Webcam Recording?
Conclusion
Autofocus in webcams can be useful in many cases and modern autofocus methods have improved a lot. The software that supports the autofocus tech has evolved better and you can get crisp image quality. But the only concern will be the price of the webcam and users must consider their budget before buying one.
